Global warming could increase food costs worldwide by 3.2 trillion yuan per year by 2035, the study estimates. It will hit countries in the global South hardest, but will not spare more developed economies. The impact of climate change on food prices will spread across the world, largely due to rising temperatures. published in Communications Earth & Environment .

“Higher temperatures consistently increase food inflation in both high- and low-income countries,” the study says. “The effects vary across seasons and regions depending on climate patterns, with additional impacts resulting from daily temperature variability and extreme precipitation.” Overall, at the global level, the impact of climate change on food prices could increase inflation by 0.9–3.2 % per year by 2035, and increase overall inflation by 0.3–1 %, 0.1 % per year. (More on rinnovabili.it)

Researchers are using artificial intelligence (AI) and sustainable computing to accelerate and operationalize their work related to climate and weather simulation to help mitigate the effects of climate change, one of humanity's greatest challenges.
Environmental sustainability initiatives and the latest climate innovations were highlighted during NVIDIA GTC 2024, as many scientists and researchers use NVIDIA Earth-2, a complete, open platform to accelerate climate and weather simulations.
The platform consists of digital models that predict weather and climate, supported by NVIDIA GPUs, including ICON and IFS, as well as advanced AI-based weather models such as FourCastNet, GraphCast, Deep Learning Weather Prediction, interactive, high-resolution data visualization and simulation enabled by the NVIDIA Omniverse platform. Tomorrow.io also provides professional weather information to countries, businesses and individuals by applying advanced AI and machine learning models to its own global dataset collected from satellites, radars and other sensors. Thus, the weather and climate adaptation platform provides accurate, high-resolution weather forecasts across multiple time zones. (More on gulf-times.com)

Climate change threatens the health and social security of billions of people. The climate crisis is increasingly affecting health and quality of life in many ways. Rising global temperatures are leading to more frequent and severe extreme weather events, which contributes to further increasing inequality, discrimination and injustice in general and in healthcare in particular. In addition, climatic conditions are increasingly conducive to the transmission of infectious diseases and their spread to new areas. Socio-economically disadvantaged regions with weak health infrastructure (e.g. the global south) will hardly be able to do without specific support. The primary imperative is to achieve reductions in greenhouse gas emissions from transport, energy production and food at global, national and regional levels in order to mitigate negative impacts on health. The 2015 Paris Agreement should also be seen as a key agreement in the field of health. The aim of our contribution is to highlight the ethical aspects of climate change in the health sector. (Lukas Kenner , Samuel Kenner , Barbara Prainsac, more at typeset.io)

Water is a vital shared resource passed down from generation to generation and one of the fundamental elements for people, the environment and a fair, sustainable and resilient economy.

In recent years, citizens in different parts of the continent have faced a sharp increase in natural disasters such as droughts and floods, which have further exacerbated the EU's water problems and raised a new awareness of the need to ensure a water-resilient Europe. The pressure on water resources is not only caused by the impacts of climate change, but above all by decades of structural mismanagement of this precious resource and the pollution and degradation of ecosystems. However, water resilience is not just a challenge for the EU. The water cycle around the world is out of balance, closely linked to climate change and biodiversity loss, which exacerbate each other. (More on environment.ec.europa.eu)

On the occasion of World Meteorological Day, celebrated this year on 23 March, entitled "At the forefront of climate action", the report of the Climate Observatory Enea "Madonie - Piano Battaglia" has been published, which has been published weekly since 2005. measurements of the concentration of the two gases and other climate parameters. The analysis reveals a very clear and dramatic fact: the Mediterranean area is increasingly at risk due to the increase in CO2 and methane emissions. The data that demonstrate the threat to the Mediterranean are comparable to those found by the Enea Observatory in Lampedusa and, on a global scale, by various international institutions. (Miriam Carraretto, more at quifinanza.it)

Remember when there were still seasons in the 80s and 90s? Remember when autumn was rainy, thick fog enveloped the north, spring was "crazy," and summer gave us warm, but not scorching, days? If you remember, you can't deny climate change .

Climate change is not a hypothesis or assumption, but a scientifically proven and visible reality. through a series of phenomena that have changed the face of our planet. From rising global temperatures to melting ice caps to increasingly frequent extreme weather events, the evidence is available to all. Yet there are still those who choose to deny the evidence, often out of economic or political interests, while ignoring the implications of this stance for the future of humanity.

In the 1990s, China, India and many other Asian countries began a strong phase of economic expansion with the onset of the Industrial Revolution, which led to an exponential growth in CO2 emissions and other pollutants, contributing significantly to abrupt climate change.

Despite the evidence, climate denial persists, often supported by a minority of scientists and a well-oiled public relations machine that spreads misinformation and downplays the seriousness of the situation. These disinformation tactics not only hinder progress in the fight against global warming, but also threaten the health and safety of future generations.

The science is clear: 97% of scientists agree that global warming is caused by human activity. Data collected over the past decades show an increase in average global temperatures, rising sea levels and an unprecedented loss of biodiversity. Global CO2 emissions reached a record high in 2023, 1.1% more than the previous year, despite declines in Europe and the United States.

If you are in bad faith, if you are a conspiracy theorist and do not want to believe science, you have to trust your memories. Until the beginning of 2000, the climate in Italy and beyond was radically different from the current one. You cannot help but remember the fogs that characterized the autumn in northern Italy, the spring that accompanied us with sharp temperatures until June, when as children we started going to school in shorts, the summer that was hot but definitely bearable (there was no sign of air conditioning) or the very harsh winters with the galaverna that whitened the fields and cities.

All this is no longer there; and why? Because the climate has changed!

In this context, climate change denial is an act of pure intellectual dishonesty. It is a refusal to face reality, expressed through clear signals and a deliberate disregard for the responsibility we have towards our planet and future generations. The fight against climate change requires immediate, collective action based on scientific facts, not lies or conspiracy theories. Only in this way can we hope to mitigate the most devastating consequences of this global crisis and guarantee a sustainable future for all. (Source newsroom24.it)

Deforestation-Free Products Regulation (EUDR). The phenomenon of forest degradation has a serious detrimental impact on climate and biodiversity. A significant number of the world's forests, home to around 80% of global terrestrial biodiversity, are currently under threat from human activities. According to  Food and Agriculture Organizations  (FAO), an average of 420 million hectares of forest were lost to deforestation between 1990 and 2020. The alarming rate of deforestation is not only causing a decline in natural habitats and biodiversity, but is also causing an increase in greenhouse gas emissions. Indeed, forestry is estimated to be responsible for 12 % of total greenhouse gas emissions, the second leading cause of climate change. Preventing deforestation and protecting global forests is therefore of paramount importance in fulfilling the Paris Agreement and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The majority of global deforestation (80 %) comes from the expansion of agricultural land, which is linked to the growing global demand for forest-related risk commodities (FRCs) such as palm oil, soy, coffee and beef. The European Union, as one of the largest importers and consumers of these products, bears responsibility for this problem and is committed to paving the way for its solution. (Arianna Di Bono, more at iari.site)

This week, the Commission adopted the second Strategic Plan for Horizon Europe. Announced at the flagship Research and Innovation Days, the plan sets out three key strategic directions for EU research and innovation funding for the last three years of the programme (2025-2027):

• Green transition;
• Digital transition;
• A more resilient, competitive, inclusive and democratic Europe.

These orientations are aimed at addressing key global challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss, digital transition and population aging.

Open strategic autonomy and ensuring Europe's leadership in the development and deployment of critical technologies are overarching principles that apply across all three key strategic directions. (More on euraxess.ec.europa.eu)

Methane, which is potent but relatively short-lived, is a key target for countries looking to quickly reduce emissions and slow climate change. Climate talks often revolve around reducing the most dangerous greenhouse gas, CO2.

But another potent heat-trapping emission – methane – will be on the agenda at a global forum in Geneva this week.

Methane – which is potent but relatively short-lived – is a key target for countries looking to quickly reduce emissions and slow climate change.

This is mainly because large amounts of methane simply leak into the atmosphere from oil and gas projects. Methane emissions from the fossil fuel industry have been increasing for three consecutive years, and reached near-record levels in 2023, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). (More on www.sinardaily.my)

Global warming and plastic pollution, two critical environmental challenges, are now clearly intertwined, creating a vicious cycle in which one exacerbates the other.

Scientists from Sweden have published a comprehensive study in the journal Nature Communications that reveals a mutually reinforcing relationship between these problems. This cycle not only intensifies global warming and material degradation, but also increases plastic waste and the leakage of toxic chemicals into our environment. (Rodielon Putol, more at www.earth.com)

The ocean’s rhythm is now echoing with increasing urgency—a stark warning from a recent NASA analysis. Global sea levels are set to rise dramatically in 2023 due to relentless climate change and a strong El Niño event. The revelation is troubling coastal communities around the world, especially island cities like Honolulu. Here, the advancing ocean poses a real, imminent threat. It’s not just a looming danger, but a present reality that’s changing the daily lives of many. (Sanjana Gajbhiye, more at www.earth.com)

The new Copernicus Interactive Climate Atlas (C3S Atlas), developed by data management company Predictia and the Spanish Research Council (Instituto de Physicos Cantabria, IFCA), is an innovative web application that allows users to explore, analyse and visualise past and future climate change information. using observational, reanalysis and projection climate change datasets available in the C3S Climate Data Store. C3S Atlas is intuitive to use and offers the ability to visualise and interpret key climate information from multiple lines of evidence – this explainer will help you get the most out of it. (More on climate.copernicus.eu)

An international team of scientists has warned against relying on nature to provide direct "early warning" indicators of climate catastrophe, as new mathematical modelling reveals fascinating new aspects of the complexity of climate dynamics, suggesting the climate system could be more unpredictable than previously thought.

By modelling the Atlantic Meridian Circulation, one of the major ocean current systems, a team including mathematicians from the University of Leicester have found that the stability of the system is much more complex than the simple “on-off” states previously thought. Transitions between these states can lead to large changes in regional climate in the North Atlantic region, but are far from the massive impacts of transitions between qualitatively different states. (University of Leicester, more at phys.org)

The Mediterranean region is facing increasing environmental danger following the unstoppable rise in carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) emissions, as revealed by the recent Enea Climate Observatory report "Madonie - Battle Plan". Since the beginning of its activity in 2005, the observatory has carried out weekly measurements that reveal disturbing data that point to a direct threat to the Mediterranean climate.

Confirmations from global and local scope
The results, as alarming as those collected by the similar Lampedusa observatory, coincide with the findings of many international institutions and paint a picture of global urgency. This data was presented in connection with World Weather Day, which this year was focused on "Climate Action". ? (More on ilsudonline.it)

Trees have difficulty sequestering carbon dioxide (CO2), a greenhouse gas, in warmer, drier climates, meaning they may no longer be the answer to offsetting humanity's carbon footprint as the planet continues to warm, according to a new study. by Penn State researchers. "We found that trees in warmer, drier climates are essentially coughing instead of breathing," said Max Lloyd, assistant professor of geoscience research at Penn State and lead author of the study, which was recently published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. “They send CO2 directly back into the atmosphere much more than trees in cooler, wetter conditions.” (LUIGI BARBIERI, more at meteogiornale.it)

In 1862, California was hit by a flood of biblical proportions. In the state’s Central Valley region, the “great flood” created lakes that grew 20 miles wide and 250 miles long. It killed thousands of people and destroyed entire towns and vast tracts of farmland. In Sacramento, the state capital, the flooding forced Leland Stanford, the newly elected governor, to travel by rowboat to his inauguration.

Some scientists believe that the extreme flooding of 1862 was caused by atmospheric rivers, clouds of water vapor that carry water from the poles and deposit heavy rain or snow when they hit land. California and the western United States have been hit hard the past few winters. They are likely to be even more severe in a warming world. Western states need to prepare for this. (Alice C. Hill and Tess Turner, more at www.cfr.org)

Climate impacts on economic productivity suggest that climate change may threaten price stability. Here, we apply fixed-effects regressions to over 27,000 observations of monthly consumer price indices worldwide to quantify the effects of climate on inflation. Higher temperatures increase food and headline inflation over 12 months in both high- and low-income countries. The effects vary across seasons and regions, depending on climate patterns, with additional effects from daily temperature variability and extreme precipitation. Evaluating these results based on the temperature increases projected for 2035 implies upward pressures on food prices and headline inflation of 0.92–3.23 and 0.32–1.18 percentage points per year on average worldwide (range of uncertainty across emissions scenarios, climate models, and empirical specifications). (Maximilián Kotz, Friderike Kuik, Christiane Nicke, more at nature.com)

The health and prosperity of people and the planet depend on the stability of the global water cycle. Climate change, biodiversity loss, unsustainable management and pollution are impacting water resources worldwide. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), 1 in 4 people in the world still lack access to safely managed drinking water. Almost half of the world’s population lacks access to safely managed sanitation.

As water scarcity intensifies, increased competition for dwindling freshwater resources threatens stability between and within nations through conflict, displacement, or migration. Water is also too often used as a weapon of war.

There can be no peace without universal access to safe and clean drinking water and sanitation for all.

This year's global theme for World Water Day focuses on using "water for peace". Water management and transboundary water cooperation are effective tools for preventing conflicts and sustaining peace. The European Union is working to improve access to water and/or sanitation for 70 million individuals by 2030. It is also working to protect, preserve and restore water-related ecosystems. (More on ec.europa.eu)

Limiting climate change involves making informed policy decisions. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was created by the United Nations in 1988 to provide scientific information on climate change to policymakers around the world. The IPCC's secondary audience includes experts from science, education, business and non-governmental organizations, as well as representatives of the media and the general public worldwide. Celsius (Lynn 2018). (Wändi Bruine de Bruin, Lila Rabinovich, more at link.springer.com)